Two light bulbs are connected to a battery, one at a time. The bulb that draws more
current has the
A) lower resistance, and is brightest.
B) lower resistance, but is dimmer.
C) higher resistance, and is brightest.
D) higher resistance, but is dimmer.
E) none of the above
Answer:
Phil applies 100 N to a pulley system and raises a load one-tenth of his downward pull.
Ideally, the weight of the load is
A) 100 N.
B) 1000 N.
C) 10,000 N.
D) more than 10,000 N
Answer:
An outcome of universal gravitation is that
A) planets aren’t cubes with sharp corners.
B) its discovery prompted other laws of nature.
C) prediction and discovery of planets.
D) all of the above
Answer:
An astronaut of mass 70 kg weighs 700 N on Earth’s surface. His weight on the surface
of Mars, where the acceleration due to gravity is 3.7 m/s2, would be about
A) the same as on Earth.
B) 130 N.
C) 260 N.
D) 370 N.
E) none of the above
Answer:
A tightrope walker more easily balances on a tight wire if her pole
A) is held high.
B) droops.
C) is short but heavy.
Answer:
The frequency of a simple pendulum does NOT depend on
A) its mass.
B) its length.
C) the acceleration due to gravity.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
A tiny gun made of a strong but very light material fires a bullet more massive than the
gun itself. For such a weapon
A) the target would be safer than the shooter.
B) recoil problems would be lessened.
C) conservation of energy would not hold.
D) conservation of momentum would not hold.
E) both conservation of energy and momentum would not hold.
Answer:
Hydrothermal vents deep beneath the ocean surface attain temperatures far above 100C
due to
A) higher salt content.
B) reduced salt content.
C) greater pressure.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
The lamp most similar to the common fluorescent lamp is the
A) LED.
B) CFL.
C) incandescent lamp.
D) none of the above
Answer:
If the Sun collapsed to a black hole, Earth’s speed in space would
A) increase.
B) decrease.
C) remain the same.
Answer:
Whirl a rock at the end of a string and it follows a circular path. If the string breaks, the
tendency of the rock is to
A) follow a circular path.
B) slow down.
C) follow a straight-line path.
D) stop.
Answer:
If a pizza radiates more energy than it absorbs, its temperature
A) decreases.
B) is unaffected.
C) increases.
D) none of the above
Answer:
A pair of 10-N vectors at right angles to each other has a resultant of about
A) 10 N.
B) 14 N.
C) 20 N.
D) none of the above
Answer:
Figure N-9
While a ship moves toward the right at constant velocity, a seaman atop the mast drops
a stone which freely falls to position
1) A.
2) B.
3) C.
This is better understood by realizing that
4) the ship moved to the right a distance equal to that between A and B while the stone
fell vertically.
5) the stone was moving to the right just as fast as the ship during the fall.
6) the net force acting on the stone is equal to its weight.
7) because of inertia, the stone experiences a horizontal motion unlike that of the ship.
8) the stone underwent an acceleration while the ship did not.
Answer:
Compared to the average size of a hydrogen atom, the average size of a helium atom is
A) larger.
B) smaller.
C) about the same.
Answer:
When a large floating ice cube with unfrozen water inside melts, the water level in its
container
A) goes down.
B) remains unchanged.
C) goes up.
Answer:
Hydrogen and oxygen molecules in a sample of gas have the same temperature. This
means the hydrogen molecules, on average, have the same
A) speed and the same kinetic energy.
B) speed, but more kinetic energy.
C) speed, but less kinetic energy.
D) kinetic energy, but more speed.
E) kinetic energy, but less speed.
Answer:
Earth is presently accelerating toward the Sun (centripetal acceleration). If the Sun
collapsed into a black hole, this acceleration would
A) increase.
B) decrease.
C) remain the same.
D) cease to exist.
Answer:
The wavelengths of sound that carry farther in air are relatively
A) long.
B) short.
C) ultrasonic.
D) none of the above
Answer:
When the curve of a vertical structure matches the inverted image of a drooping chain
held at both ends, the curve is called a
A) parabola.
B) hyperbola.
C) catenary.
Answer:
An egg rests at the bottom of a bowl filled with water. When salt is slowly added to the
water the egg rises and floats, from which we conclude
A) salt water is denser than fresh water.
B) salt water is denser than an egg.
C) both of these
D) neither of these
Answer:
As a fluid gains speed, its internal pressure
A) increases.
B) remains unchanged.
C) decreases.
Answer:
When a gas in a container is squeezed to half its volume with no change in temperature,
the gas pressure
A) halves.
B) doubles.
C) quadruples.
D) remains the same.
Answer:
When a moving spaceship emits regularly-spaced flashes of light, how frequently you
see the flashes depends on the ship
A) approaching you.
B) receding from you.
C) either of these
D) none of these
Answer:
Two protons added to an oxygen nucleus produce
A) heavy oxygen.
B) fluorine.
C) neon.
D) sodium.
E) nitrogen.
Answer:
Compared to a 1-kg block of solid iron, a 2-kg block of solid iron has twice as much
A) inertia.
B) mass.
C) volume.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
The net force on any object in equilibrium is
A) zero.
B) equal to its weight.
C) less than its weight.
D) non-zero when motion is involved.
Answer:
Arnold Strongman and Suzie Small each pull very hard on opposite ends of a rope in a
tug-of-war. The greater force on the rope is exerted by
A) Arnold, of course.
B) Suzie, surprisingly.
C) both the same, interestingly.
Answer:
The wave-particle duality applies to
A) photons.
B) electrons.
C) protons
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
If you balance a broom horizontally on one finger, the center of gravity of the broom
will be above your finger, closer to the bristles end than the handle end. If you saw the
broom in two pieces at that point and weigh the two parts on a scale, you’ll find that the
heavier part is the
A) bristles part.
B) handle part.
C) both the same weight
Answer:
Wood is a poor conductor
A) when it is cold.
B) at common room temperature.
C) when it is hot.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
Every isolated proton in the universe is surrounded by its own
A) electric field.
B) gravitational field.
C) both of these
D) neither of these
Answer:
The period of the second hand on a clock is
A) 1 second.
B) 1/60 second.
C) 60 seconds.
D) 3600 seconds.
E) 12 hours.
Answer:
Carbon dating requires that the object being tested contain
A) organic material.
B) inorganic material.
C) charcoal.
D) none of the above
Answer:
A spectrum of colors seen in gasoline on a wet street is primarily a result of
1) interference,
2) polarization,
3) refraction,
4) scattering,
5) diffraction,
where
6) the light reaching the eye is polarized by double reflection.
7) only the higher frequencies of light resonate with the gasoline and H2O molecules.
8) the thin film of gasoline spreads the light out into its component colors.
9) light reflecting from the gasoline surface interferes with light reflecting from the
water surface.
Answer:
When a source of sound approaches, measurements will show an increase in the sound’s
1) speed,
2) frequency,
3) wavelength,
4) all of these,
5) none of these,
and when a source of sound recedes, measurements will show an increase in the sound’s
6) speed.
7) frequency.
8) wavelength.
9) all of these.
10) none of these.
Answer:
Light passes readily through a pair of Polaroids when their axes are
1) parallel.
2) perpendicular.
3) neither of these,
and for a pair of Polaroids with axes at 45 degrees to each other
4) light will not pass.
5) light that passes is dimmer than for parallel Polaroids.
6) another Polaroid is necessary for any light to pass.
Answer:
A stone submerged in water displaces a volume of water
1) greater than volume of stone.
2) less than volume of stone.
3) equal to volume of stone.
If the stone were of low-enough density to be able to float, it would displace a volume
of water
4) greater than its volume.
5) less than its volume.
6) equal to its volume.
Answer:
The force of gravity acts on a satellite when it is in
1) circular orbit.
2) elliptical orbit.
3) both of these
4) neither of these
and does work on a satellite when it is in
5) circular orbit.
6) elliptical orbit.
7) both of these
8) neither of these
Answer:
Figure V-6
The boat that will sail fastest in the intended direction is
1) 1,
2) 2,
3) 3,
4) 4,
and the boat that responds least to the wind is
5) 1.
6) 2.
7) 3.
8) 4.
Answer:
A new theory conforms to the Correspondence Principle when it
1) successfully accounts for the verified results of the old theory.
2) corresponds to all theories of nature.
3) states the essence of the old theory, but in an up-to-date way.
4) successfully ties two or more theories together.
The Correspondence Principle is applicable
5) principally at the atomic level.
6) in all realms of physics.
7) for all good theory, scientific or otherwise.
Answer:
A spear 10 meters long is thrown at a relativistic speed through a pipe that is 10 meters
long (both these dimensions are measured when each is at rest). When the spear passes
through the pipe, which of the following statements best describes what is observed?
1) The spear shrinks so that the pipe completely covers it at some point.
2) The pipe shrinks so that the spear extends from both ends at some point.
3) Both shrink equally so the pipe just barely covers the spear at some point.
4) any of these, depending on the motion of the observer (moving with the spear, at rest
with the pipe, etc.)
An observer fixed to the pipe would measure the mass of the spear to be greater than
when at rest; an observer moving with the spear would measure the mass of the pipe to
be
5) more than when at rest.
6) less than when at rest.
7) the same as when at rest.
Answer:
The airspeed of an airplane is 100 km/h. When it is caught in a 100-km/h right-angled
crosswind, its speed across the ground below is about
1) 0 km/h.
2) 100 km/h.
3) 140 km/h.
4) 200 km/h.
5) more than 200 km/h.
If the airplane changes direction and flies at 60 degrees to the wind, its ground speed
will
6) decrease.
7) remain the same.
8) increase.
Answer:
In the absence of air resistance, a projectile launched at the same speed at any angle will
attain the greatest range when projected at
1) 30o.
2) 45o.
3) 60o.
4) 90o.
In the case of throwing a heavy spear, not at the same speed but with the same force, the
greatest range is attained more likely when thrown at
5) 30o.
6) 45o.
7) 60o.
8) 90o.
Answer:
A gas and a plasma are similar in that they are both
1) fluids,
2) crystalline,
3) covalent,
4) in cohesively bound states,
while the principle difference between a gas and a plasma has to do with
5) atomic number.
6) density.
7) pressure.
8) electrical conduction.
Answer:
A 10-kg block has twice the density of water. Compared to 10 kg of water, its volume is
1) as much,
2) half as much,
3) twice as much,
and when suspended in water its mass will seem to be
4) 0 kg.
5) 3.33 kg.
6) 5 kg.
7) 10 kg.
8) none of these.
Answer:
Part of a wreck from a ship weighs 500 N. It displaces 100 N of fluid. The buoyant
force acting on it is
1) 100 N.
2) 250 N.
3) 500 N.
From this we can see that the buoyant force is equal to the
4) weight of the submerged object.
5) volume of fluid displaced.
6) difference between the weight of the object and the weight of fluid.
7) weight of fluid displaced.
Answer:
If we had the most powerful optical microscope in the world stacked on top of the next
most powerful optical microscope in the world, we would
1) probably see atoms,
2) probably be able to photograph atoms even if we couldn’t see them,
3) still not be able to see an atom,
because atoms are
4) invisible.
5) visible when illuminated with infrared light.
6) material particles which have mass and size.
7) smaller than the wavelengths of visible light.
Answer:
A skydiver jumps through the air from a high-flying plane. As her velocity of fall
increases, the net force acting on her
1) increases also,
2) decreases,
3) remains unchanged,
and her acceleration
4) increases.
5) decreases.
6) remains unchanged.
Answer: